Manchester City
Man City signing this £25.7m La Liga sensation would get them another gem like Laporte
Why Unai Nunez could be the next Aymeric Laporte at Man City
According to Football Insider (h/t Manchester Evening News), Man City have joined the race to sign Spanish defender Unai Nunez, who currently plies his trade with Athletic Bilbao in the La Liga.
Premier League rivals Arsenal and Everton, as well as reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, are also interested in the 22-year-old centre-back, who has been making waves with his impressive displays at Bilbao in the Spanish top-flight. (Football Insider h/t Manchester Evening News)
As per the report, Pep Guardiola is keen to bolster his squad with a new centre-back and a back-up goalkeeper during the mid-season trading period and Unai Nunez has emerged as a potential target for the reigning Premier League champions.
The Basque-born centre-back rose through the youth ranks of Bilbao before bursting on to the scene in the La Liga during the 2017-18 campaign.
Nunez started league 33 games over the course of a hugely impressive debut season at the senior level but he has played second-fiddle to more accomplished central defenders like Yeray Alvarez and Inigo Martinez ever since.
Having started only 11 games in the Spanish top-flight last term, the highly-rated 22-year-old has only started 5 league fixtures for his boyhood club this season.
However, despite his limited involvement on the club front, Nunez earned his first senior international cap for Spain as a late substitute for Sergio Ramos in a Euro 2020 qualifier against the Faroe Islands back in September.
Interestingly, Man City’s links with Unai Nunez ahead of the mid-season trading period is reminiscent of the situation heading into the 2017-18 winter transfer window.
The Citizens eventually smashed their club-record fee to sign Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao for a staggering £57million in January 2018 and the Frenchman has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world.
To put things into perspective, Unai Nunez looks like an excellent young defender in the same mould as Laporte and Man City can land themselves a massive bargain if they manage to beat off competition to sign the Spaniard in January.
While Laporte has proven himself to be worth every penny of City’s staggering outlay in the market, Nunez only has a modest buyout clause of £25.7million in his existing deal at Bilbao that runs until 2023, meaning that the Basque outfit will be powerless to prevent him from leaving the club should the Citizens match that figure.
Having stamped their authority in English football with a domestic treble last season, City’s hopes of retaining the Premier League crown for a third successive season looks all but over, with Liverpool already 11 points clear of Guardiola’s side ahead of a trip to second-placed Leicester City on Boxing Day.
Man City went into the ongoing campaign a bit light in their options at the back after Guardiola failed to replace Vincent Kompany in the summer.
The long-term injury to Laporte just four games into the season has, indeed, had a massive negative impact on their title defense, with Guardiola now forced to rely on Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho at the heart of the backline.
With John Stones also going through his fair share of injury problems and Otamendi struggling to live up to the expectations, it is an absolute no-brainer for City to splash the cash on a new centre-back when the transfer window reopens in January.
Verdict
To that end, Unai Nunez certainly fits the bill as a player in the right age bracket. Guardiola has moulded Laporte into a world-class asset and he can do the same with Nunez, who still has plenty of room for development at the age of 22.
Looking back at his numbers from the 2017-18 season, Nunez managed a pass success rate of 82.3%, including 5.2 long balls, 2.2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 4.6 clearances and 2.2 aerial duels per game in the La Liga, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded attributes as a modern-day ball-playing centre-back.
Those qualities should make him a perfect fit for Guardiola’s system of playing out from the back. Nunez seems to have all the raw materials to make the transition to the Premier League in the future.
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Having said that, Man City completing a move for Unai Nunez in January could go a long way towards helping them unearth another gem like Aymeric Laporte.
Leicester
Manchester City Women Player Ratings vs. Leicester: Khadija Shaw Brace Rescues Wasteful Leaders After Frustrating Display
Khadija Shaw’s late brace secured Manchester City an unconvincing 3-0 victory over resolute Leicester at the King Power Stadium, extending their WSL lead to six points. The Jamaica international was wasteful throughout before finally breaking through 16 minutes from time, with substitute Kerolin adding gloss with a stoppage-time third.
City dominated from the start but found Leicester’s defensive block impenetrable for 74 minutes. Shaw spurned multiple gilt-edged chances, hitting the side netting early and looping a header onto the roof of the net after the break. Vivianne Miedema was also repeatedly denied by inspired goalkeeper Janina Leitzig as City racked up 29 shots to Leicester’s two.
The breakthrough finally came when Shaw pounced on Celeste Boureille’s mistake to fire home. She added her second with a header in the 84th minute before Kerolin’s sublime finish in the 94th capped off City’s best-ever start to a WSL season.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Ayaka Yamashita (6/10): Had virtually nothing to do beyond passing to teammates. A training session for the Japanese keeper.
Kerstin Casparij (6/10): Never troubled defensively and got forward freely but didn’t significantly impact proceedings.
Jade Rose (6/10): The statistics of 29 shots to two tell the story. Precious little defending required.
Rebecca Knaak (7/10): Continues proving a handful in the air at both ends. Commanded the backline well.
Leila Ouahabi (7/10): Comfortable in possession and dealt with everything that came her way efficiently.
Midfield
Yui Hasegawa (6/10): Needed more style to her substance but played some nice touches to free teammates.
Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10): Passing could have been quicker but stopped Leicester’s rare attacks with combative play.
Vivianne Miedema (7/10): Her first-half trickery came closest to unlocking Leicester’s dogged defence before her effectiveness waned.
Attack & Subs
Aoba Fujino (6/10): Ran at Leicester’s defence with wilful abandon but couldn’t bypass their low block.
Khadija Shaw (7/10): Missed a hatful before delivering when it mattered with two crucial goals. You only need a few seconds to have a successful game up front.
Lauren Hemp (6/10): Well shackled by Leicester’s doubled-up defence but assisted Shaw’s second.
Kerolin (8/10) ⭐: Added quality and dynamism off the bench. Got the crucial assist for Shaw’s opener before scoring a sublime late goal.
Andree Jeglertz’s side lacked creativity for long periods but his substitutions, particularly Kerolin, ultimately got the job done despite an unconvincing performance.
Arsenal Dragon
Chloe Kelly Opens Up on “Miserable” Manchester City Exit as She Reveals Arsenal Move “Exceeded Expectations”
Chloe Kelly has revealed her Arsenal transfer wasn’t just about playing time, it was crucial for her mental wellbeing after reportedly being “miserable” at the end of her Manchester City career.
The 27-year-old England forward spent six months on loan in North London last season before making the move permanent in summer, and hasn’t looked back. Speaking on Arsenal’s ‘Colney Carpool’ series, Kelly opened up about finding happiness at the Emirates while chasing more silverware.
“I came here to find happiness and to win but it has exceeded my expectations,” Kelly said. “I’m really grateful to Arsenal and I have a lot more to give for this club.”
Champions League Glory Still Burning
After winning the Champions League and Euros in 2025, Kelly enjoyed a near-perfect year. But rather than resting on those laurels, the former City star is hungry for more.
“It’s the best competition to play in. To win it was incredible but it makes you hungry for more success,” she explained. “At this club we strive for greatness and we were able to do that last season, but this season we want more.”
Her comments come as Arsenal navigate a difficult start to the current campaign, sitting well off the pace in the WSL title race despite their European success.
Ballon d’Or Recognition
Kelly’s exceptional 2025 earned her a first Ballon d’Or nomination, finishing fifth in the final placings behind Arsenal teammates Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo.
The ceremony provided a memorable moment when she found herself just seats away from childhood hero Ronaldinho. “I remember watching clips of him as a young girl and to be in the same room as him just a few seats down, it was special,” Kelly recalled.
Sports Personality Favourite
Kelly is now the frontrunner to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025, with the winner announced on December 18. The award would cap off a remarkable year that’s seen her transform from City misery to Arsenal happiness while collecting major trophies and individual recognition along the way.
Manchester City
Manchester City Install 10,000 Solar Panels Across Academy to Power Next Generation of Stars Sustainably
Manchester City are installing over 10,000 solar panels across their City Football Academy in an ambitious sustainability project that will offset the entire complex’s annual energy consumption.
The initiative, which includes nearly 3,000 panels already installed on the Joie Stadium roof, home to City’s women’s team, will power training sessions, recovery rooms and analytics suites where the next generation of stars are being developed.
Net Zero Carbon Target by 2030
The solar programme forms the centrepiece of City’s pledge to reach net zero carbon by 2030, encompassing everything from matchday waste to academy canteen food. According to the club’s sustainability report, the renewable energy system will power floodlights, treadmills and performance monitoring equipment entirely without fossil fuels once fully operational.
City currently sit 28th in the Pledgeball League but are positioning themselves as leaders in football sustainability. The project includes complementary measures like compostable packaging, water-efficient landscaping and spaces designed to support biodiversity from bees to bats.
The academy has already produced stars like Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis using traditional energy sources. City believe this sustainable infrastructure will help develop future talent whilst simultaneously addressing football’s global carbon footprint.
Practical Benefits Beyond Green Credentials
The solar installation provides tangible advantages beyond environmental benefits. The energy generated buffers against energy price volatility and could be redirected to the Etihad Stadium during peak demand periods. Few European clubs operate training complexes powered so extensively by renewable energy, giving City a competitive edge.
Manchester’s famously grey weather presents challenges for solar output, but City have integrated the panels into a wider energy strategy with efficiency measures and smart-grid management. The club remains confident the academy will stay powered sustainably year-round despite seasonal variations.
The project sends a message to young players that innovation off the pitch matters as much as brilliance on it. Every sprint, pass and tactical drill will be indirectly powered by the sun, with the next generation learning about resilience and responsibility alongside their football development.
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